Local campus chosen for key scene in BBC’s six‑part thriller
The Alloa campus of Forth Valley College has been used as a filming location for the BBC’s new six‑part science fiction drama Sutherland, with production citing the site’s main entrance, stairwell and corridors as a creative match for a short but important sequence.
The series, which alternates between scenes set in Scotland and in outer space, follows a flight director called Mirren who is preparing what the production describes as the UK’s first crewed mission beyond Earth, until “unexplained events” begin to alter the story’s course. Production personnel say the scene shot at Alloa will remain in the completed series.
Supervising location manager Barry Laird, who oversaw the choice of Forth Valley College’s Alloa campus, said the decision was taken on artistic grounds rather than practicality, and that Alloa was picked over other nearby options such as Falkirk and Stirling because its layout suited the director’s vision.
“I can’t tell you anything about what the location is meant to be, but it’s definitely a sequence that will remain in the series,”
Mr Laird added that the campus was a good facility to work with and praised the personnel there. Filming at the Alloa campus took place on Friday, 31 July while students were on their summer break.
What this means for Alloa and students
Although the sequence was described as brief — part of what Mr Laird called “connective tissue” within a character’s arc — the presence of a national broadcaster on site carries significance for a town that has seen sporadic use as a filming location in recent years. Local stakeholders often point to such productions as a way to raise the profile of buildings, boost footfall and create informal routes into the creative industries for young people.
Mr Laird also said the production team hopes the experience will demystify the industry and create opportunities for local involvement. He noted that the production would like to find ways to engage students and stressed there are many entry points into film and television work beyond acting.
- Filming date: 31 July (students were on summer break)
- Production: BBC, six‑part drama titled Sutherland
- Location choice: creative preference for Alloa’s entrance, stairwell and corridors
Potential local benefits and wider context
Even short shoots can create ripple effects. Production staff and visiting crew bring spending to hotels, cafes and shops; the visibility of an Alloa landmark on national television can attract attention from visitors and other producers looking for locations. For students at Forth Valley College, the filming offers a reminder of vocational and creative career paths that often run alongside formal college courses.
Mr Laird said that FVC campuses had been on his database for several years and it had been “nice to bring something to them”. He also made an incidental observation that the Central Scotland area had a history of UFO reports in the 1990s — a quirk he described as “a nice little accident” in relation to the series’ outer‑space themes.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Series | Sutherland (BBC) |
| Episodes | 6 |
| Alloa filming date | 31 July |
| Location used | Forth Valley College, Alloa campus |
For cultural and civic leaders in Clackmannanshire, the episode underlines an ongoing conversation about how to harness film and television production for local benefit: from encouraging training and placement opportunities to shaping an environment that can accommodate location shoots without disrupting everyday campus life.
While the production team have not yet disclosed the exact nature of the scene filmed at Alloa, the company’s description of it as pivotal ensures the town will be able to spot familiar architecture when the series airs — and may prompt a closer look at the opportunities such work can bring to a regional college and its students.
